Riverscape: This style mimics the natural flow and movement of a river, using driftwood, rocks, and plants to create a dynamic and realistic scene. The fish are usually fast-swimming and active, such as tetras, danios, and barbs
• Serene zen garden: This style is inspired by the Japanese art of gardening, using minimalistic and elegant elements such as sand, stones, mosses, and bonsai trees. The fish are usually peaceful and calm, such as bettas, gouramis, and rasboras
• Lush jungle paradise: This style is filled with vibrant and lush plants of different shapes and sizes, creating a dense and diverse forest for the fish to explore. The fish are usually colorful and varied, such as angelfish, discus, and guppies
• Mystical fairy garden: This style is whimsical and magical, using ornaments such as castles, bridges, mushrooms, and fairies to create a fantasy world. The fish are usually small and cute, such as neons, endlers, and corydoras
• Majestic mountain range: This style is dramatic and impressive, using rocks to create towering mountains and cliffs that contrast with the water. The fish are usually hardy and adaptable, such as cichlids, loaches, and plecos
• Underwater cityscape: This style is modern and futuristic, using ornaments such as buildings, cars, planes, and robots to create a urban landscape. The fish are usually bold and adventurous, such as goldfish, platies, and mollies
These are just some of the aquarium setup ideas that are trending in 2023. You can also mix and match different elements to create your own unique aquarium that suits your personality and preferences. If you need more guidance on how to set up a freshwater aquarium, you can check out this helpful article https://aqualibs.com/aquascaping-guide/ that provides a big gallery aquarium setup ideas with pictures.
And here this is point view from famous aquascaper Josh Sim
In the past, i studied the contest booklet religiously to find the hottest trend so that i can follow. In recent years, i also study the contest booklet tiredlessly to make sure that i do not follow the trends. It is an interesting change of mindset. So what is trend setting?
When somebody starting something new - in aquascaping context, it can be new hardscape, new usage of an existing hardscape, new concept or new execution methods - and if he makes it popular (for instant, he gets good ranking), others follow what he did and also get good results, he is a trend setter!
I have gone through the last 22 years of IAPLC history (excluding 2023) and tried to pick up some trends setter which has big influence on the style and execution of modern aquascaping. Details descriptions of the trends are in the following pictures.
So is it good to follow the trends or try to be the trend setter? I think there is no absolute answer. Following the hottest trend will perhaps get you some good results "easier" and your layout will be "safer" from falling out of the comfortable ranking.
However, be bold and do something nobody has tried before will set you apart regardless of your result - but the risk of falling behind the ranking is greater!!
Your choice!! One thing i observed, there is no obvious trend setter after 2016!! This is not entirely surprising as it is not really easy to create a popular new trend, especially for a hobby that has been around for more than 20 years - new ideas, new concepts are getting harder to come by!
Of course there are other important trends that are not mentioned in this write up: the first mountain? The first path? The first forest? The first vines? The first Brazillian? There could be more. If you are interested, you can do your own research and find it out!
Will 2023 or 2024 create some new trends? We shall see.
2004 - IAPLC #1 by Lee Jong Ki (Korea). Mr Lee is the first one that use vertical rock to create mountain-like structure. Similar concept has been adopted by many others with flying colors!
2007 - IAPLC #7 by Chen Huang Jen (Taiwan). I believe Mr Chen has created the very first waterfall in aquascaping contest! How many waterfall layouts have we seen since then? Countless!!
2007 - IAPLC #10 by Filipe Oliveira (Portugal). No introduction needed for this one. The treeman has created the first tree in aquascaping contest and what a monster trend he has started!!
2008 - IAPLC #4 by Cliff Hui (Hong Kong). Cliff has created an extraordinary trend - using 2 big tree-like structure to flank the left and right of his layout. This seemingly simple but elegant concept has never been done before 2008 and it has become a mainstay in the modern aquascaping!
2009 - IAPLC #4 by Josh Sim and IAPLC #27 by Jamie Lin (Taiwan). This is the very first time that straight vertical woods are being use to emulate pine forest. A very popular trend until this present day and many high ranking works are using similar concept.
2009 - IAPLC #7 by Lin Tin Chuan (Taiwan). Mr Lin is the first scaper that use vertical hanging roots in aquascaping contest. What is special about this layout was that he used a combination of real roots from the ferns and some small straight woods to create this stunning effect. A technique that remain popular until today
2010 - IAPLC #2 by Zhang Jian Feng (Macau). The IAPLC grand champion in 2012 used rocks with flat surfaces to create beautiful platform that simulate some natural scenaries. He is the first scaper to do so and many are still following this trend!
2012 - IAPLC #3 by Long Tran Hoang (Vietnam). Mr Long is the father of this kind of futuristic layout with unbelievable architectural sophistication. How he created this out-of-the-worldly layout still remain a mystery to most of us but many has followed this trend and give us some jaw dropping creation since.
2012 - IAPLC #5 by Yutaka Kanno (Japan). Kanno san is no stranger to making breathtaking aquascape but this 2012 layout is the first of its kind in using an over-hanging rock! The masterful technical skill and imagination has left many of us in awe! Ever since then, quite many over-hanging rock scapes were born.
2014 - IAPLC #1 by Gregoire Wolinski (France). "Passage" created by Mr Wolinski not only won the Grand Champion but is also widely regarded as one of the greatest creation of all time. The overhead "bridge" structure created with rocks has become super popular since.
2015 - IAPLC #1 by Takayuki Fukada (Japan). We simply cannot forget about this masterpiece when we discuss trend setting. Fukada san has created argubly one of the most important trend in aquascaping history - the use of Monte Carlo with "drop down" effect. Monte Carlo was first introduced as carpet plant but Fukada san has given it a new life. Countless top7 and even Grand Champions were using this technique since its introduction!
2016 - IAPLC #2 by Wang Chao (China). Widely regarded as one of the most unique layout ever created, Mr Wang has revolutionalized the hanging platform concept. This is the first time such concept was presented to the world and what a following it has generated!!
2016 - IAPLC #4 by Katsuki Tanaka (Japan). Tanaka san has created an original but controversial concept by using a stainless steel plate to reflect the light and produced a stunning effect. This was an eyes openning trend that many has adopted afterward by using mirror to replace stainless steel plate but we cannot deny that Tanaka san was the one started this revolution!
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